Monticello, NY --- In the paddock before the race someone was kidding Betsy Phillips, chiding her that in spite of her winning 543 races in her career she never won a Lady Godiva Pace at her home track where the majority of her driving victories occurred.

So what does Betsy Phillips do? She just goes out with a 30-1 shot and wins this year's Lady Godiva Pace at Monticello Raceway in a time of 2:02.4.

Dryad Hanover (#3) and Julia’s Girl hit the wire nearly simultaneously in the Lady Godiva Pace.

On Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, in the sixth edition of the race strictly for lady drivers, Phillips won with longshot Dryad Hanover in a proverbial stretch duel with favored Julia’s Girl, who was driven by last year’s winner, Devan “the Purple Princess” Miller.

Actually, Miller’s pacer was the shortest of noses ahead of Phillip’s charge at the finish, but when Miller went inside the eurorail at the top of the lane, the judges had no recourse other than to reverse the first two positions.

Miller’s dad, top driver David “Purple Jesus” Miller was standing near the winner's circle during the race cheering for his daughter and was philosophical about her being placed second.

“No big deal, she went inside the pylons and it cost her,” he said. “But she drove a great race.”

However, the afternoon belonged to Besty Phillips, Monticello Raceway’s Queen of the Sulky.

When Stacy Chiodo, driving Butter Roll, yielded command to Julia’s Girl at the quarter pole in :29.3, Miller kept her mare moving and they passed the half in 1:01 -- but company was coming.

At that point Phillips moved Dryad Hanover first-up, followed closely by two-time Lady Godiva winner Jody Riedel with Our Colors Best. From there Julia’s Girl and Dryad Hanover raced head-to-head to the three quarters, at which point Riedel moved Our Colors Best three-deep and they ranged alongside Julia’s Girl and Dryad Hanover and the three raced as a team into the final turn.

However, midway around the turn Our Colors Best went off stride and Julia’s Girl pulled away by a length or so.

Racehorsephoto.com photos

Monticello director of pari-mutuels and simulcasting, Maureen Flynn, presented Godiva chocolates to winner Betsy Phillips.

But that margin was decreased with every step in the lane as Julia’s Girl and Dryad Hanover locked horns in a proverbial stretch duel and it was hard to tell who the winner was when they crossed the finish line. Even announcer Howard Oil, who prides himself on making his last call the winner, yelled "too close to call."

It was only the thickness of a pencil that separated the two, but due to the driving infraction Phillips got her picture taken. Third place went to Butter Roll and driver Stacy Chiodo.

In the winner's circle Maureen Flynn, the track's director of simulcasting and pari-mutuels, made the usual Lady Godiva Race presentation of a box of Godiva Chocolates to winning driver Betsy Phillips.

Owned by Peter Lutman, Jr. and trained by Sherry Lutman, Dryad Honover notched her first victory of the year and returned a $62.00 win mutuel.